Wrong Moments
by MalachiLestat
Summary: Everyone makes mistakes... sometimes they can be fatal. Akito learns this when she hurts Kureno. pairings: AkitoShigure, AkitoKureno, HatoriTohru, KurenoArisa,hints of KyoYuki.
1. Prologue

Prologue

Ren smiled in contemplation as Akito's body fell to Shigure's mercy, as she watched her daughter being taken by perverted writer. Akito tipped her head back as Shigure kissed his way up to her ear and threaded his fingers through her hand as he gently pressed further, eliciting a soft groan from her as he did. The tie of the suit that she had worn that day lay discarded at Shigure's feet, the top was underneath her back and the pants in a heap a few feet away. Akito's hands were reaching slowly up to cup Shigure's face as she smiled as him in a way she hadn't for years.

Through the small crack in the door, Ren's dark eyes watched in sheer enjoyment as her mind concocted devious plots for this latest transgression. She watched the maids flit around with their eyes resting on her for only a few seconds, knowing it was best not to confront her. As the two through the doorway were close to the end she left soundlessly to confront Kureno about it, to inform Akito's favorite pet what she had seen and perhaps to do something that would anger her precious daughter. Ren laughed at the thought of what she could do and sped up her pace until her hands gripped Kureno's shoulders as he went down the hall.

"Hello birdie," Ren cooed as Kureno stopped in surprise.

"Ren-san." Kureno acknowledged, his coat slung over his arm reminiscent of a waiter as he shrugged her off to face her.

"Busy?"

"Not particularly." Kureno responded, he slid open the panel door to his room and entered without another word to Ren. The woman was upon him in a matter of seconds, grasping his wrists and standing an arms length away to admire her daughter's conquest.

"I haven't said hello in ages!" Ren informed him, her smile widening.

"I do have to go to Akito-san." Kureno countered his eyes narrowing in suspicion as the woman's eyes lit up in delight.

"Of course." Ren said with a nod but she did not release him, "That wont be possible, as she is with Shigure."

"I am allowed to see her when it pleases me to do so." Kureno said with a sharp intake of breath.

"Yes… well. I'm afraid she's in a bit of a personal situation with him now." Ren whispered, "Much like the two of you were recently."

The look that crossed Kureno's face was somewhere between surprise and shock as Ren nodded solemnly to him and went to sit comfortably on the former Rooster's futon. Kureno knew she was telling the truth when the pleased glimmer in her eyes increased at his response, he loosened his tie and dropped it to the floor.

"Is that so?" Kureno asked lightly in an effort to seem unaffected by this.

"She practically took control herself." Ren added, smiling wickedly at his back.

"You came to tell me this in the hopes I would become jealous. Did you not?" Kureno responded as he sat beside her in the effort to remain cold towards the subject.

Ren curled her fingers around his forearm gently and squeezed as she nodded, Kureno sighed and looked at her finally.

"Make her jealous of you." Ren suggested, her body language suggesting just that and Kureno sighed again, the woman covered her face with her free hand, "She would do the same to you!"

"I know." Kureno snapped, he looked away from her and closed his eyes.

Ren was close now, too close but Kureno did nothing to prevent her. A small part of him longed to refuse her advances, knowing full well that she was bad news, however the rest of him cried out for revenge against Akito for her mistake. A bigger part of him that would not be refused and he turned back to the older woman with vengeance in his stare and gave an imperceptible nod to her. Ren laughed and took him by the collar to kiss him, a kiss that signified her conquest and she fell back with the former Rooster atop her.

In the hours that passed during Akito's deep sleep Shigure had left and Kureno had returned to her side, with a scent other than his own, a scent the woke the head of the family in a hurry. Akito stared in confusion at the guilty eyes that lay before him upon her former juunishi's face, the scent was obvious but Akito's mind did not register Ren's perfume and searched for another possibility. When no other appeared Akito's jaw dropped and she stared in deeper confusion at Kureno.

"I'm sorry." Kureno whispered, his voice barely above nothingness. He sat a few feet away, a safe distance he had judged it, and of course he was wrong to underestimate the reach of his lover's arm.

Akito narrowed her eyes at Kureno and pulled the discarded kimono closer around her shoulders with a shiver, a shiver that was her consciousness rejecting what instinct said was true. Kureno let his shoulders droop and rose to close the door and tear curious eyes away from what he knew would happen here.

"You slept with her?" Akito cried, disbelievingly.

Kureno froze, he hadn't expected the question so soon, but he remained quiet.

"Answer me!" Akito shouted, she had already thrust her arms into the kimono and was tying it closed as she rose from her futon.

"I slept with Ren-san." Kureno admitted lowly, his knuckles turned white as he closed the door with an iron grip.

"Bastard!" Akito screeched, her voice cracking softly. She lifted the ceramic teapot from the tray and hurled it at him angrily.

The teapot connected with a crunch to the back of Kureno's head as he stayed stationary to the blow, shards of clay clinked down the former Rooster's back and blood started to trickle almost immediately. Outside the room were frantic footsteps that resounded down the hallway, past Ren who smiled at the crash, and the maid burst through the open doors onto the lawn that separated the distance between the house and the one Hatori used.

"I'm sorry." Kureno whispered as he started to turn away from the door but found that it hurt too much to move his head. Akito's rage would not be sated until something stopped her from a rampage, apparently an apology was not it and she sent the entire tea tray sailing across the room.

"Why?" Akito shouted, she kicked the wooden tray away from Kureno's feet and grabbed his shirt, "Why damn it?"

"Because you slept with Shigure!" Kureno cried his eyes becoming clouded as he did. Slowly he lifted a hand to his forehead and glanced shakily at Akito.

"Kureno?" Akito asked her grip loosening and she stepped back to give him some room, "Are you okay?"

"I don't… think so…" Kureno whispered as he slid a finger experimentally to the spot on the back of his head were a piece of clay had lodged itself into his skin. When he withdrew his hand it was covered in red liquid, which the former zodiac didn't quite register as blood, Akito on the other hand gasped at the amount that had flown out. It was a surprise that Kureno was still awake at all, that vaguely crossed Akito's mind as the sound of pounding feet came down the hall.

Kureno reached back again and tested the clay, wincing at it and then swaying slightly, Akito covered her mouth and collapsed to her knees.

"Don't… pull it out!" Akito pleaded, but someone she couldn't bring herself to rise again.

Kureno nodded and then promptly collapsed and Akito screamed to punctuate it, the door slammed open and Hatori almost tripped over the bleeding Kureno in an effort to enter the room. Ren was leaning against the wall several feet away from the door with a smile on her face.

"You!" Akito hissed, she rose to attack her mother but Hatori's hand stopped her, she merely bit her lip and glared, "You bitch!"

"You did it." Ren pointed out, her thin pale finger extending in a slight motion to Kureno's body on the floor.

"I hate you!" Akito shouted, she could feel Hatori's arm locked around her and carry her further into the room and the door closed as a maid did the favor of removing Ren from Akito's sight.

"What happened?" Hatori queried as he lifted the blanket from the askew futon and laid it over Kureno.

"You have to help him!" Akito cried her fingers curling around Hatori's wrist.

"I am having the maid call an ambulance," Hatori responded, "That is the most I can do at this point… he may die you know."

"He can't!" Akito pleaded as tears ran down her face, "I didn't… I didn't mean to…"

A siren pierced the silence, things went a little hazy as Hatori lifted the hysterical girl from the floor and carried her to an adjoining room to let the medics do their job. Akito wailed incoherently that Kureno couldn't possibly die before finally Hatori had to cover her mouth and shush her softly. Although she quieted, Akito did not sleep that night. Her body was sore from the events of the day and something stirred inside her that made her cling tighter to Hatori and cry silently in his arms.


	2. Chapter One

CHAPTER 5:

Akito was silent as she waited in the shadows of Kureno's hospital room, wondering vaguely what had spurred her to turn on the only person who had remained by her side consistently for the past few years. Ayame hadn't noticed a single thing when he had been in the room beside the former Rooster. The only visitor that had even noticed a presence other than their own had been Shigure but the Dog hadn't shown his knowledge with anything other than a slight gaze to his right and a quick exit from the room. Akito figured that since none had ventured in recently, the Dog had told them that no one else was allowed in at the time, for weeks there had been no change in the Rooster's condition. A sighed escaped the head of the Sohma family and she rose to approach her companion slowly, placing one foot silently in front of the other, as if it would wake the sleeping Rooster. But it wouldn't. Akito already knew that. She opened her mouth to speak, to say something of meaning to Kureno, but no sound came out and she figured that it was for the better. Akito wasn't one to feel guilt, but at the moment it shrouded her mind and ached dully in the back of her skull.

"Akito?" A soft voice came from the door, causing the slow stride to pause and Akito turned to face the door in slight confusion.

Yuki stared back at her, paler than the head of the family could remember him to be, but otherwise completely fine, as it should be. Akito narrowed her eyes carefully; searching for some sign of hostility in the Rat, when she saw none her shoulders drooped carelessly, unguardedly. She was fine so long as Yuki didn't know the truth, and as long as the only people who knew where still bound to secrecy.

"Yuki." Akito whispered the name escaping her lips fluidly as if she had said it many a time before. This was true; the head of the family was accustomed to saying the Rat's name. After all, Yuki was a gift to her.

"Why did you do this?" Yuki asked, his voice barely above a whisper as he crossed the threshold, bringing himself closer to his living nightmare without a flinch or a shiver. Akito shrugged almost unnoticeably in response and turned her head back to the comatose Rooster with sorrow glinting softly in her eyes. An emotion Yuki was positive the head of the family had never displayed. In fact, the sadness was awkward on Akito, in a way that made Yuki almost pity his elder.

"I don't know." Akito responded reluctantly, her voice weaker than Yuki had remembered and the Rat mentally acknowledged the irony of the weakness in his superior. Akito had finally felt a loss in close equivalent to that of other humans, it was amusing but pitiable.

"They say he may not wake up." Yuki informed him, his voice low and soft as he rested a careful hand on Akito's left shoulder. The head of the family shrugged the Rat away half-heartedly and turned to face away.

"Don't tell me that which I do not wish to now." Akito whispered, her voice cracking softly as she did, the anger that floated around her was weighed down heavily by confusion and despair.

"I wanted to let you know that. Regardless of what you wanted." Yuki replied, he came close behind Akito noticing that he was taller than the other and cast his gaze to the Heart Monitor as it beeped steadily in the rhythm of Kureno's heart. This time Akito turned to face Yuki, her eyes now cloudy prior to tears falling, and Yuki knew that Akito didn't desire the shame of crying before someone who she had intimidated in the years before. That didn't waver the Rat's resolve; he drew Akito against himself and bit his lip to keep from shaking at the familiarity of the weight. Yuki was still utterly terrified of Akito, but his conscience told him that the head of the family needed someone.

"Don't try to make this any better." Akito hissed, pulling herself away and going to the window. "You are a goody-goody and nothing more. I don't want your pity." Akito pulled her coat tightly around her shoulders and leaned her forehead against the cool glass, in the reflection Yuki turned his head to the side as if he had been slapped and bit his lip.

"If I were bad…" Yuki murmured as he focused on the far wall, "If I were to treat you roughly and without mercy. Would that make you feel better?"

"I deserve it." Akito replied lightly as she turned back to face the Rat.

"What you deserve… Is someone who will understand you." Yuki countered, he came forward and pulled Akito into a hug that the head of the family couldn't have escaped had she even wanted to. Yuki was shaking in fear but something in him told him not to let go and that if he did Akito would break. Something else occurred to him, Akito was also shaking but with a force that the Rat couldn't even imagine.

"What I deserve?" Akito whispered softly she pulled away from the loosening grasp and turned away, she held her arms over his stomach and tilted her head, "There is something I need to show you."

Yuki tilted his head to the side mimicking Akito's movement to a muscle, curiosity was supposed to kill the cat not the rat. The Rat heard himself ask what that could be and Akito tensed visibly before going back to the window.

"Take me home." Akito responded as she tapped his fingers on the windowsill, she turned back to Yuki and smiled weakly, "Please."

The Rat nodded and went to the head of the family yet again to embrace her tightly, Akito suddenly fisted Yuki's pale grey shirt in one hand and started to tremble again before pulling back to look into the Rat's purple eyes.

"What is it?" Yuki asked as he brushed stray hairs away from Akito's eyes and smiling reassuringly to the other. Akito stared back carefully and her eyes welled up with tears, Yuki allowed his mouth to open in surprise at the tears now sliding two at a time down Akito's pale cheeks, "Akito…"

"I hurt him!" Akito wailed, throwing herself against Yuki as she did, "Like everyone! I hurt him… like I did Hatori's eye and Rin and Kisa!"

"Shh…"

"No! I never wanted to hurt them, I just did… I just… I hurt them without thinking…" Akito was confused as to why this all came out, why she was saying such things to Yuki and why she was so upset about it all, "Ren… she wants me to fail. She wants you all to hate me! She did it on purpose!"

"You said you hate women." Yuki whispered ruffling a few ebony locks as he did so.

"I hate Ren!" Akito corrected, her eyes closing slowly.

"Let me take you home." Yuki suggested softly.

Akito nodded and smiled at the Rat, "I don't want any of you to suffer because of a child such as me… not anymore."

"That is a mature decision for the child you claim to be." Yuki responded as he cupped a tear stained cheek in his hand.

Something inside shattered and Akito collapsed to her knees with a soft moan of pain, chains that wound together were broken and something was set free. Hatori froze on his way down the hall and with hesitation stared at his palms in confusion, he turned back to the other Juunishi to see that none of the others but Haru were looking themselves over. Yuki dropped to the floor to hoist Akito back up into his arms, but the girl would not look at him.

"What is it?" Yuki whispered, his eyes searching the broken girl. Still not knowing her secrets.

"Take me home." Akito pleaded, placing her palms on his chest and lift her head to brush her lips across his, "Please… take me home."

Yuki nodded and wrapped an arm around her waist to steady her, slowly stepping forward to the door and allowing her to pass first. Seeing Hatori standing silently in the hallway examining himself Yuki redirected the head of the family to the back stairs and they emerge into the drizzle from the entrance only moments later. The rat removed his jacket and wrapped it around the frail form of his living nightmare and helped her to sit in his car. Turning the key in the ignition the car hummed to life and Yuki reached to turn the heater on, a pale hand resting atop his as if to stop him caused him to freeze in mid reach. Akito shook her head and motioned at the gearshift then lowered her hand shakily to her lap, staring thoughtfully at it.

"Are you sure… you are okay?" Yuki whispered, leaning across her to lock the passenger's side door and resting his cheek briefly against her shoulder to feel her shaking almost imperceptibly.

"I… killed him… didn't I?" Akito whispered her eyes meeting Yuki's as she did so.

The rat didn't respond, he just shifted the car into reverse and back slowly out of the parking spot, looking over his shoulder as he did so, leaving Akito to her thoughts. She eyed Yuki carefully, lifted her pale hand from her lap and traced it gently over the glove compartment. When Yuki turned back to shift into drive he caught the subtly scrutinizing stare and quickly jerked the gearshift into drive and pressed on the accelerator.

"You didn't kill anyone." Yuki responded slowly, glancing at the girl as he slowed to a stop at a red light,

"I almost did… once…" Akito pointed out, her hand resting on the dash.

"Never Kureno… you wouldn't kill Kureno…" Yuki insisted, his hands gripping the steering wheel as he jumped out into traffic and pressed the accelerator.

Akito silenced and drew her knees up to her chest, resting her chin on her knees she closed her eyes and tried not to think about it. She didn't WANT to think about it… but the memory of Kureno's eyes clouding as he realized what had happened, the roughness of the ceramic teapot as she lifted it mindlessly into her hand. How it scraped against her fingertips as it sailed from her hands with the force of her swinging arm. The clatter of clay shattering against skull, the absence of a pained response from her lover, her heart breaking into pieces as the man fell forward, blood soaking his light blue shirt.


	3. Chapter Two

CHAPTER 2!

"No!" Akito cried, Yuki almost jumped out of his skin at the sudden outburst, his foot sliding onto the brake and he turned to face Akito with shock written on his face as he almost ran the red light.

"What now?" Yuki asked, his voice a little shaken.

Akito merely looked out the window and stared at the passing cars for the rest of the drive, her eyes not really seeing. She didn't feel like explaining to Yuki what had happened and why Kureno was in the hospital. Her voice was low when she responded, distinctly hearing the words "I don't know" escaping her lips as she lowered her head against the window, trying to hide the hot tear that slid down her cheek. Knowing that if her Rat saw her cry, her power over him would seem superficial... non-existent. She couldn't bear to lose that power.

"We're almost to the Main House..." Yuki responded, his left hand stroking softly at the slightly shaking shoulder in the seat next to him. "I'll put you to bed..."

"No." Akito responded sharply, he former strength found again as she sat back up straight.

Yuki merely shook his head and eased the car into the narrow drive of the main house, parking carefully between Hatori's car and the Main House's car. Shutting off the engine Yuki turned to Akito and smiled softly. It was obviously a practiced smile, invented for such purposes as to sate Akito's lust for positive attention, but somehow the head of the Sohma family didn't really care. She reached out childishly and Yuki pulled her across the seat into his arms, cupping her cheek softly in his cool palm. The girl curled carefully around Yuki and he slid carefully out of the car, nudging the door closed with his hip, the keys carefully stowed into his pocket.

"Yuki…" Akito whispered, the sound coming out more like a question.

"Shh." Yuki responded almost automatically.

As he approached the house there were a few questioning looks from the maid airing out Akito's room, her eyes searching over Yuki and the docile form draped around the Rat. Yuki shook his head and the woman scurried away from the window to open the doors for him, the wood sliding almost soundless over the runner as Yuki crossed the threshold into the darkness of the house. At the moment he didn't care about the shoes he was wearing, and the maid didn't remind him to remove them as the temperamental woman in Yuki's arms stared in superiority at her and she bowed in response.

"Get changed," Yuki whispered, lowering her to her feet outsider her bedroom and he returned to the door to drop his shoes and returned to the room, Akito standing quietly in her bed kimono facing the opposite direction.

"Yuki." Akito acknowledged softly, her voice barely rising about the whisper it had been before.

"Yes?"

"There is something… I should show you."

Yuki narrowed his eyes warily at Akito, who still stood facing the open window, she crossed the room and slid the window shut with a loud clack before turning to face Yuki at last. Her arms dangled at her sides for a few moments before raising to untie the kimono, and Yuki paled slightly at the thought of what lie underneath, because to him Akito was still the same tyrannical man he had always been. It wasn't even a possibility for Akito to be anything else but a him, a male… there were no implications that he was anything but that… a he.

"You don't have to…" Yuki protested, lifting a hand to send a message that it wasn't necessary.

Akito shook her head and shrugged the kimono over he shoulders, dipping low until it finally dropped to the floor and Yuki almost gasped… almost. Where there should have been a penis… was nothing but a curve between thighs to something else entirely. A soft curve that was impossible to see with the clothing choice lined its way up to a pair of small, but satisfactory breasts that matched her skin. Yuki's jaw had dropped at the sight of what was nowhere near to a man as he had expected. Finding out for the first time that the man he had feared for a lifetime was in fact… a woman.

"You're…" Yuki breathed, his outstretched hand now falling to his side limply and of no use. The woman before him turned to the side and leaned to pick up her kimono, something else caught Yuki's eyes. Almost imperceptible from a front view of the woman was a bump, one that was abundantly clear from the side, it was a soft curve outward from her abdomen and he took a step forward towards Akito.

"A woman?" Akito continued for him, grasping the neck of the cotton material in her hands and pulling it up to hide her femininity. With a whoosh of fabric the kimono was returned to her body and the wearer was tying it back in place.

"Yes… that too…" Yuki managed, he found that he couldn't move his feet and the woman came across the room to his side.

"Too?" Akito questioned with a scrutinizing look on her face.

Yuki was clearly at a loss for words, and had he possessed use of his own vocal cords… he still didn't know what would have come out. The likelihood stood that it would be something garbled, or something that would anger the small woman now resting her head carefully on Yuki's shoulder.

"…. Pregnant?" Yuki finally managed to whisper and the woman stepped back away from him to stare darkly at him.

"Tell no one." Akito ordered, her body resuming its straightened and practiced indifference.

"Its… his isn't it." Yuki continued, staring now at her stomach.

"Kureno?"

The Rat nodded and blinked slowly, feeling a draft of cold air coming from Akito's direction as the woman nodded carefully. She was silent as she went to open the window once more and stare out into the main estate.

A car pulled silently in behind the estate's car and the engine was shut off, Shigure stepped out of the driver's side and Tohru out of the passengers.

"So why did you insist on coming?" Shigure questioned for about the millionth time that day.

"I-I… I just wanted to come along." Tohru offered weakly, her eyes wide and slightly worried.

Shigure sighed at her and closed his car door, as he reached the door he heard the other door close and turned to cock an eyebrow at the girl but she wasn't there anymore and he glanced around with wary eyes until he saw her ducking behind a house and he smiled knowingly. She was going to Hatori's house, it was mildly expected of her. After all… as clumsy and unpolished as the girl was she was caring above anyone else.

"Ahh… Now which way is it?" Tohru whimpered, looking quickly around and blanching at the sight of the identical houses, "I'm lost again!"

"Honda… san?" The voice was soft behind her and she whirled around half-expecting Shigure to be bent and staring in a teasing manner behind her. She was pleasantly surprised at the sight of Hatori staring carefully at her, and she bowed so fast that she almost fell over.

"Hatori-san!" Tohru cried, her smile wider than he remembered, "I was just… looking for you…"

"Are you sick?" Hatori asked automatically, and she shook her head fiercely.

"You left so suddenly I thought maybe… something was…"

Both stood there staring at each other for a moment before Tohru began to laugh nervously and Hatori thrust a hand into his hair before returning his green gaze to her. He motioned for her to follow him and she did as beckoned, not losing step with the older man as she did so. As soon as the door was closed she sighed wearily.

"I knew it was around here…" Tohru explained softly, her hands working carefully at her shoes and she looked up at Hatori who had already shed his footwear and was standing now on the polished wooden floor, "Its just so big… in here…"

The man nodded and stuck his hands into his pockets as she fought with her one remaining shoe; she was startled slightly by his thoughtful silence. As the shoe flew off she tumbled onto the wooden floor and groaned slightly before laughing easily at her clumsiness and she rubbed where her knee had impacted.

"Honda-san…" Hatori said at last, his voice strained slightly, she blinked questioningly up at him and then rose to stand at her full height. Her attempt to seem somewhat composed failed as she slid a little forward when her stockings didn't agree with the floor.

"Yes?' Tohru responded softly, the embarrassment of her behavior still fresh in the blush on her face.

"You came to… check on me?"

The girl nodded and grinned at him, she looked around the entrance hall and frowned at the bareness of the room. She then smiled back at him and bowed a little lower than she had before.

"I hate to impose." Tohru fumbled, seeing the slight frown at the edge of his lips.

Hatori shook his head started towards the kitchen with the intent of seeming somewhat hospitable, but she headed him off and placed her hands on her hips and stared up at him.

"I would like to make you tea…" Tohru whispered, her eyes lowering slightly but not losing their reservation.

"If you insist." Hatori responded, almost bitterly but not without a soft stare to urge her to do as she pleased.

Her eyes glowed in determination as she raised a fist into the air and disappeared into the modest kitchen, she was daunted faintly by the fact that she had no clue where anything was kept. She felt the movement of another behind her and the teapot was dangled almost teasingly next to her, she turned and stuck her tongue out playfully. Hatori was take slightly aback by the gesture but softened again as she took the teapot without complaint and began to boil the water.

"I didn't announce my arrival… so I feel like I owe you." Tohru explained, her eyes carefully on the teapot.

"You don't have to make tea…" Hatori pointed out, his eyes closing and then opening to find the bubbly girl standing with a look akin to determination gracing her eyes.


	4. Chapter Three

CHAPTER 3!

Hatori froze at the look on her face, he didn't get the chance to make sure what he was seeing was what he thought it was as the girl was across the kitchen again before he could blink.

"When you left, it looked like something had scared you." Tohru said suddenly as she lifted the teapot off the burned and she turned back to face him, "I was coming to check on you."

"I… don't know what it was." Hatori responded softly, her concern touching him deeply, she had a look of slight longing on her face and he stared carefully at it. "Do you want to… say something?"

She shook her head and pushed away from the stove to stand a few feet from him, he narrowed his eyebrows and opened his mouth to say something when she launched herself at him, and he stepped back a little as her petite form hit him dead on and they tumbled to the wooden floor with a dull thud. When the customary poof never came she opened her eyes to inspect him, hoping she hadn't hurt him and found the green gaze staring in shock at her.

"You didn't…" Tohru whispered, leaning back so that she was straddled over his waist and began to poke his side and chest experimentally, he stared blankly up at her, his mind reeling. Finally he sat up to wrap his arms around her again, testing a theory, when no transformation resulted he closed his eyes and held her tighter to his chest.

"That's what it was." Hatori said at last, releasing Tohru and guiding her off of him, "I feel lighter."

"The curse…" Tohru whispered, her eyes lighting up as she stared fondly at the former dragon, "It was lifted!"

Hatori nodded and started to rise when he was blind-sided by another hug, this one a little gentler than her last and he allowed her to grip her hands into his shirt and bury her face against his back. For some deep reason he felt like shedding tears as she was, he felt like something had lifted free and he could feel again. Sorrow was the first emotion that bombarded him, sorrow for not being cured before Kana, sorrow for never seeing that it would be empty without freedom. He had lived barely contented and wishing desperately for that inch of freedom that Kureno possessed. And never knowing that that freedom was what had put the former bird in his precarious situation, at the edge of his death now in a hospital bed with memories to sift through.

Tohru felt the doctor withdraw from her tears and her grip tightened, she forced down her tears and moved around the former zodiac to sit carefully in front of him. To stare softly with concern at the pallor of his face and at the thoughts racing through his eyes with emotions that had never been seen through his eyes before. Carefully the girl slid her arms around his neck and pulled him forward to lean against her in the hallway, her back pressed to the wall and their legs stretched out into the visible line of the doorway.

"It's okay now." Tohru whispered, loosely cradling the older man in her arms as he registered now that what had chained him to the Sohma was now shattered and blowing away in the maelstrom of freedom.

There was no response from the man for a few minutes until she felt his hand tightened slightly on her waist and she held him closer, willing him not to speak, not to ruin the profoundness of the embrace,

"I'll protect you." Tohru whispered, her eyes closing and her fingers tracing over his shoulder until she felt him sigh, even he knew that the likelihood of her protection was low, "I'll hold you."

Hatori closed his eyes and opened them again, truly seeing after being lost in his thoughts… reminiscent of the erasure of Kana's memories. He pushed himself up to his knees and met no resistance from the arms draped kindly about him.

"I apologize…" Hatori whispered, he reached down and helped her to her feet and she smiled at him and shook her head.

"Not at all." Tohru said in the high-pitched voice that signaled her distress, "Nothing to apologize…"

A soft fingertip pressing to her lips silenced her and she stared at it before glancing up at Hatori who shook his head to signify he meant to apologize no matter if there was a reason or not. Tohru ached at the thought of his apology, she didn't feel that Hatori needed to issue it… he had done nothing wrong.

"Hatori-san" Tohru said finally, the finger dropping from her lips, "It's good to express how you're feeling."

"It's not like me."

"So?"

Hatori sighed again, turning his back on Tohru for a moment then returned to stare carefully at her. She blushed suddenly and bowed for another time that day then started to shake her head.

"I'm sorry… that was wrong of me." Tohru fumbled, her eyes glued to the floor, as she remained bent in a bow, the doctor just shook his head and turned back to the kitchen.

Hearing the door open down the hall, Yuki turned to face Akito and the woman shook her head then looked completely away from the Rat. Yuki turned from her and went to the door, sticking his head out into the hallway he saw the lone Shigure approaching and he slipped into the hall with a brush on the door.

"She doesn't want to see you." Yuki said, louder than he had anticipated but the announcement stopped Shigure in his tracks.

"Whatever do you mean?" Shigure asked, his customary smile thinning slightly but Yuki slid the door shut and stared at Shigure.

"What I mean… Shigure. Is that Akito has told me that she wishes not to see you." Yuki gritted, his hand dropping to his side but his purple eyes not losing their determination.

"I came to see you." Shigure pointed out, his finger touching Yuki's chest to punctuate his statement.

"Liar."

Shigure donned a look that made him seem thoroughly hurt but Yuki didn't miss the gleam behind his eyes that signified that acceptance of a challenge. The Dog reached out to push open the door and Yuki batted his hand away with a look that told volumes of impending torture. Though said torture would most definitely be at the hands of Akito, he didn't let that slide and merely put himself completely between the door and Shigure.

"Yukiiii…" Shigure started to plead but Yuki narrowed his eyes and crossed his arms, steeling his will to the adolescent whine that the writer was emitting.

"Leave." Yuki ordered, motioning lightly towards the hall from which Shigure had came,

"I can't just leave… without Tohru." Shigure answered, crossing his own arms in the attempt to stare Yuki down.

"Why did you bring her?" Yuki growled, not missing a beat.

"She wanted to see Hatori."

Yuki rolled his eyes, realizing he had played to Shigure's hand and rose up to his full height and leaned his head back, giving a stony gaze that only Kyo had been on the receiving end of in the past. Shigure felt the gaze hit him like a brick and he stepped back from the look akin to hatred in Yuki's eyes, a look that Akito had given him on several occasions.

"Now." Yuki hissed, his eyes narrowing, "You will leave."

Shigure batted his hand weakly, attempting to pass the hostility off as a joke but failed miserably, Yuki merely glared harder and the Dog smiled.

"Fine, Fine." Shigure acquiesced, his hand batting softly at the air and then retreated back to the yard and waited impatiently for Tohru. The girl and the doctor appeared around the house together, Tohru smiled up at the stoic doctor. Shigure cocked an eyebrow at Hatori who just smiled back down at her and she wrapped her arms around him again and said something that even the Dog's experienced ears could not pick up.


	5. Chapter Four

CHAPTER 4

Yuki returned slowly to the room, shaking off the effects of the glare before allowing himself to face Akito. Her arms were about him in a matter of seconds and Yuki supported her weight as he lifted her up into his arms again and carried her to the futon near the window.

"I sent him away." Yuki whispered, lowering her sleepy form to the blanket and stroking a few mussed tendrils of short black locks away from her cheeks as her eyes slipped closed.

Akito nodded carefully and released her hold on Yuki to curl her hands loosely around air and she buried her face in the pillow while Yuki covered her up at the shoulders and she blinked at him, urging him to stay. Yuki smiled and ran a finger through the dark strands and lay carefully beside her to watch her dark eyes as they searched his face.

"What?" Yuki asked, narrowing violet eyes to search her stoic face.

"Nothing." Akito replied, her voice soft as she slipped off into sleep and Yuki inhaled slowly. A little relieved at the woman's sleep, in truth he was confused as to why he wasn't scared to see Akito.

"Sleep well…" Yuki whispered, brushing his lips over her pale forehead and her eyebrows knit slightly in a frown.

He watched her burrow down into the futon before rising and taking leave quietly so as not to wake her, after scrawling a note onto a slip of paper and leaving it with a flower from the hallway beside her head he snatched up his shoes and went for his car.

"What was I doing?" Yuki murmured, thrusting a hand through grey locks, "I can't… lead her on like that…"

"Leaving so soon?" Shigure asked, having leaned casually against the silver Mitsubishi Galant.

"Yes." Yuki replied, his voice dripping with venom and his eyes piercing with daggers.

The Dog stepped away from the car and allowed Yuki to climb in, his dark eyes watching playfully with underlying scheme around the edges. The Rat glared at Shigure and started to shift the car into reverse when the Dog slapped a hand on the roof of the car and bent over to the window with a wolfish smile.

"What." Yuki growled, not in the mood to deal with the dog.

"Take Tohru home?" Shigure said softly, his voice passing slowly through the crack in the window Yuki had made, the Rat's finger still on the automatic window button.

"Sure." Yuki responded, his attempt to sound cheery and happy failing miserably but his smile getting the job done nicely.

The girl was walking towards them now, having been around the corner of the house before, and Hatori came around several seconds after her and approaching Shigure a little faster than a normal pace. Tohru bowed to Shigure when the older man motioned towards the passenger's side of Yuki's car and she dashed around it and smiled as she opened the door. As usual the girl bashed her head on the car and she fell into the seat holding her head and attempting to keep her skirt down at the same time, ending up half on the floor mats and half out the door. Yuki reached over and righted her before leaning back into the seat and waiting for her to finish buckling the seat belt across her chest and at the side of the seat. She smiled sweetly at him and he jerked the shift into reverse and turned the car in the narrow drive without regard to Shigure's foot and braked, shifted into drive and accelerated out of the drive until he was safely two blocks from the Main House. Once at a red light he slowed to a stop and took a deep breath, Tohru was staring at him carefully and she tilted her head and smiled again.

"What is it?" Tohru asked, she pressed a finger to her chin and her eyes lit up, "Is this about Akito?"

"I am assuming that you already know about her?" Yuki whispered, pressing the accelerator as the light changed, she nodded slowly out of the corner of his eye and he pressed on, "She's pregnant actually."

"W-w-what?" Tohru stuttered, her eyes bulging and she shifted entirely in her seat to face Yuki, "Seriously?"

It was Yuki's turn to nod as he turned the corner that led to a lone avenue which ended with the drive to Shigure's house, Tohru drew up her knees and tried again.

"But Yuki… is it Kureno's?"

"Might be…" Yuki replied, he turned his head slightly, "Might be Shigure's too…"

Tohru fell silent in the seat and walked slowly up to the house when the silver car was safely parked, Kyo opened the door and followed her with his eyes as she jogged up the stairs and disappeared around the bend. The Cat stared accusingly at Yuki as he walked up the steps and slipped past him, Kyo jerked Yuki back and growled lowly.

"What the hell did you do?" Kyo gritted, his fangs showing slightly and Yuki shook free and glared dangerously as though he might snap at any moment.

"I did nothing you stupid cat." Yuki replied, violet narrowing on crimson and the orange haired boy stepped reluctantly out of the way as the Rat shoved past.

"Then why is she like that?" Kyo asked, pressing further and following the grey haired boy to the kitchen, Yuki turned and grabbed a fistful of Kyo's shirt.

"Akito." Yuki replied, his eyes narrowing slightly as if to challenge a response from the cat.

"He's been on everyone lately… did he hurt you or something?"

"Why the concern?"

The Cat jumped and glared at the cat, "I didn't mean… She wouldn't be depressed like that unless something happen…" Kyo fumbled, he motioned for the door, "And what the hell was she doing there anyway?"

"Concern. For Kureno."

"I meant at the Main House!"

Yuki let go of the refrigerator door and turned back, "She went to check on Hatori."

Shigure slid the door to Akito's room open slowly and crossed the room slowly, as if it would make his footfalls quieter, the girl stirred and Shigure shushed her gently before sitting quietly beside her to watch. The dark eyes slid open and she narrowed them slightly at the sight of the Dog staring gently at her.

"Is it mine?"

Akito sat up to face Shigure, her eyes widened and she pulled the blanket closer, "What do you mean?"

"You know what I mean." Shigure replied softly, he leaned forward and pressed a kiss to her temple, "The baby."

"I don't… know."

Shigure smiled and drew her close, she shivered at his touch before leaning into it and sighing, she leaned back and turned her head away, the Dog reached out and turned her head slowly before pressing another kiss to her lips.

"Kureno. I know." Shigure whispered, a smile crossing his face, he pulled the girl onto his lap and rocked her slowly. "I'll take care of you… I promise…"

"But why?"

"I love you." Shigure assured her, brushing stray black strands back and smiling at the confused eyes, "I love you…"


	6. Chapter Five

CHAPTER FIVE

Feeling accusatory eyes on his back Yuki whirled back from the fridge and stared in waiting a Kyo, his eyes narrowing. Kyo merely softened the gaze a notch and scuffed the floor with a socked foot before leaning against wall and blinking thoughtfully.

"What?" Yuki asked, a sigh surrounding the question and almost engulfing it entirely.

"Why would she want to check on the damn Hatori anyway?" Kyo sighed, jamming his hands into his pockets and turning his head away.

"I don't know either…" Yuki admitted, his fingers playing carefully over the door and he swung it shut in sudden loss of appetite.

Kyo pushed away from the wall silently and gave a slight inclination of his head before disappearing down the hall and Yuki heard the sounds of footfalls on the stairs. The Rat sighed heavily and followed a few minutes later, bypassing Kyo's open door with mild disinterest as the Cat never left his door open, and locked himself safely behind his own door. As he sat quietly on the windowsill and stared out into the darkness he let his thoughts wander back to Akito, how the woman had been so desperate looking as they left the hospital. It perplexed him to see and remember such a broken stare on the woman's face, on a woman so utterly fearless and powerful as Akito nonetheless.

"Quit thinking about it Yuki…" Yuki murmured softly, slapping a hand lightly onto his forehead and he leaned his head against the window frame and stared in admiration at the silver spun moonbeams that white washed the darkness of his room. The moon calmed the Rat slightly and after a bit he went to the futon and settled in for the night, although it was only early evening. The moon had risen early Yuki noted somewhere in the back of his mind, its closeness mildly unusual but welcomed.

Akito gaped at the confession and at the affection almost dripping from onyx eyes and she looked away quickly to hide the surprise on her own face.

"I think of you always." Shigure added, turning her face softly once more and pressing yet another gentle kiss to her parted lips.

"Stop…" Akito pleaded, shocked at her own voice and she pushed back forcefully to face the window again.

Shigure silenced and the command and remained seat on the floor, Akito turned and stared at the Dog before pacing the floor.

"Why do you always lie to me?" Akito asked, pausing in her steps and looking curiously down at the man.

"I am not lying!" Shigure protested, his playful demeanor shifting suddenly and Akito shook her head and covered her ears.

"You always lie to me! You scheme ways to push me away and bring me back again! Tell me the truth!" Akito shouted, her eyes shut tight and her hands clamped over her ears. The voice carried sharply to Shigure's ears and the Dog resisted the animal instinct to whine, instead he rose from his spot and went to Akito.

"I cannot tell you a thing with you ears covered!" Shigure informed her, taking pale and cold hands into his own and drawing them to his chest for warmth. She started to shake her head but Shigure freed a hand and stopped her, forcing her to look at him, "Why would I lie to you about this… About loving you?"

"Why would you tell the truth when I am like this?" Akito demanded her voice low and she gave in to Shigure's embrace, feeling his chin rest atop her head as he brought her tightly into long arms.

"Why would I lie when you are like this?"

Akito sniffed back tears and wrapped her frail arms around him, drawing him even closer and resting her cheek on his chest.

"Do you really love me?" Akito whispered, her hand closing around loose fabric at his neck and she stared hopefully at him.

"More than anything." Shigure assured her, closing the vow with a soft kiss and lifting her up to his height to stare lovingly into deep turquoise.

Tohru paced the floor of her bedroom with cordless phone in hand for a total of five minutes before staring down at the plastic coated device in frustration. She let out an exasperated groan and tossed the phone to her plush bed. Her thoughts were jumbled, but that wasn't what was frustrating her. Arisa deserved to know that the Kureno she had loved was on the verge of death… right? The thought made her pull a pillow to her face a scream as loud as she possibly could into its bulk. Finally she grabbed the phone and began to dial the memorized number, it rang three times before an answer.

"Alright… I don't WANT new window for the thousandth time!" Arisa shouted into the receiver and Tohru jerked the phone back a few inches.

"Uo-chan!" Tohru cried into the phone and the sound of Arisa shifting the phone was heard and she cleared her throat, "You busy?"

"Sorry!" Arisa fumbled, the phone shifting more, she paused and turned down the music in her room, "Ummm… no… why?"

"I found Kureno…" Tohru started, her eyes closing slowly, "But he's not really… okay."

"Tohru I don't want to talk about him…" Arisa said softly, a plea added to the sound.

Tohru sighed and sat down on her bed, searching for the right thing to say as the awkward silence throbbed angrily at them.

"But he could die!" Tohru protested, gripping the phone tightly trying to hold back tears and she could hear Arisa doing close to the same.

"What?" Arisa gasped, having just processed the information, she had her eyes narrowed to the point where Tohru could almost feel the demanding gaze.

"He was hurt… Go see him!" Tohru pleaded, her voice thick with a lump in her throat and she cursed her emotional nature for the first time.

"How?"

"Call yourself a Sohma… what with all the Sohma's that have ALREADY been there no one will even question you!"

Arisa fell silent and the music stopped all together, in fact she was rustling fabric and she pressed the speaker phone button while she dressed, Tohru merely swung her legs patiently and waited.

"Okay… I'll go now!" Arisa said suddenly and the line fell dead, Tohru smiled sadly and ended the call on her end before setting the phone on the nightstand and falling back onto the softness of her comforter.

"Arisa…" Tohru murmured, staring upside down at the rising moon and closing her eyes to the tears she was fighting back.

Arisa struggled with her shoes at the door and cursed foully at them before tumbling haphazardly out the door and she got up swiftly enough to rise into a run and she took the stairs two at a time. She didn't bother to wait for the elevator and the Yankee wasn't even winded at the bottom, she made a right and followed the road to a crosswalk, traversing her way the eight blocks to the hospital.

"Damn… Damn…" Arisa growled, the soft cheery music in the elevator only agitated the anger and worry swarming her thoughts and rimming her sight with unshed tears, true to her vow she wouldn't cry yet. Not until she could see for herself the damage.

Her feet pounded down the hallway to ICU 4 and she almost slid over as she skidded to a stop outside the open door, she checked around the dark room for anyone and crossed the threshold as if an alarm would trip at her presence. Seeing the tall form in the bed she covered her mouth to hold back a gasp, the monitors beeped and whirred softly and she narrowed her eyes at them as if they were hurting him.

"So… you are a Sohma are you?" Arisa whispered, taking the empty seat closest to the head of the bed and staring at the blank expression on his face, she swallowed the urge to pound his head in for never coming back and just stared at him, "I guess… I knew that already… you seemed like one."

The one-sided-ness would kill her if she remained talking and she reached out and grasped the limp right hand in her own, recoiling slightly at its icy feel. Her eyes traced a path over his face, to his closed mouth and eyes and she eyed the slow rise and fall of his chest. The nurse at reception had told her that the man that lay before her was in a coma but she hadn't wanted to believe that, she covered her eyes with her free hand and sobbed quietly, her grip on his hand tightening.

"Don't leave me again…" Arisa whimpered, leaning forward to rest her head near his shoulder and she blinked away tears, but the wouldn't stop coming, "Don't go…"

All she wanted was for him to open his eyes and smile faintly, to whisper "Hi there…" softly and assure her that he wouldn't leave again but alas, he remained deathly silent. The blinds had been pulled shut and the door was the only light that entered the room, none of it touching the bed but Arisa could still see Kureno's outline in the shadows. The sharp line of his jaw and the slight upturn of his nose at the end, she leaned up and pressed a light kiss to his lips and smiled at him.

"I'll hate you." Arisa whispered with a smile, her tears rolling faintly down her cheeks, "I'll hate you if you leave me…"

"That's a lie if I ever heard one." The voice was feminine, low and gentle and completely monotone.

"Saki…" Arisa acknowledged, her eyes never leaving the empty expression on Kureno's face.

"I felt you calling out to me." Saki responded, her footfalls slowly crossing the room and she sat beside Arisa, "So this is him?"

"Yes."

"I'm sorry…" Saki whispered, wrapping her arms around Arisa slowly and she pulled the crying girl into her arms and rocked softly.

"I love him… Saki… why do they always leave when I love them?" Arisa whimpered, allowing the loving embrace, her hand still twined in Kureno's as she cried into Saki's embrace.


	7. Chapter Six

CHAPTER SIX

Tohru left her room silently and crept down the stairs to the kitchen silently, her eyes grazing lightly over the glaring green digital numbers that read the early night hour and she sighed heavily, wondering what Arisa was doing at that precise moment. Wondering what Hatori was doing now, her eyes slipped closed and she jumped at a sound entering the house and leaned slowly out into the hall to see what it was.

"Ah... someone is still up I see." Shigure greeted, a rather soft air about him as he did so and he crossed the wooden floor to her side in a matter of seconds.

"How was she?" Tohru asked softly, her eyes not meeting his.

"She was... broken." Shigure answered, thrusting a hand through his short cut hair he sighed heavily and sat silently in the doorway to the living room to stare thoughtfully out into the darkness with a deviously thoughtful expression.

"I bet..." Tohru agreed to herself, she turned away and went back to the empty kitchen to allow Shigure to ponder thoughts.

At the doorway she paused and stared back at the man with soft eyes and she slid the door shut to leave him in the darkness. A howl sounded off in the distance and Tohru stopped, embracing the sorrowful echo and she hugged herself to suppress the shiver that dared raced down her spine.

Arisa slipped slowly from Saki's reassuring grasp and kissed Kureno's icy fingers gently, her lips resting upon them for several seconds while Saki watched with eyes that seemed to penetrate her very being.

"You said for so long that you hated him." Saki posed softly, her voice even and firm despite the struggle her friend was being forced into.

"I lied." Arisa replied bitterly as she lifted her head from his hand and she looked at her friend with tear stained cheeks and eyes narrowed as if trying to brave her fear for him. As if to deny her sorrow for the man beside her, and to cast away the blatant love that was lit in her cobalt eyes.

Saki nodded in acknowledgement but said no more, opting to watch her friend sit next to the read haired man, her back bent slightly at she leaned over to watch him. Her head was bent so that blond locks hid what the tiny drops that splashed against Kureno's face did not. The gothic girl rearranged the skirt of her dress and remained even more silent now that Arisa had descended to tears again, knowing that she could break her friend should she attempt to solace her.

"Who did this to you?" Arisa murmured suddenly and Saki narrowed her eyes, the blond woman's aura was glowing a violent red and she stood beside him with fists clenched in a moment's time, "I'll kill them."

Arisa turned and her eyes were almost aglow with the violent rage that threatened to consume her, having already cried out for him she was in desperate need to find the person who had done it and to hurt them badly. Saki closed her eyes and rose slowly from the chair, she wrapped dark clad arms firmly around Arisa's shoulders and held the taller girl close.

"Stay with him." Saki whispered, her eyes closing, "Revenge will not end his coma."

"I guess… that's true." Arisa said numbly, her eyes glassy, "But it would make me feel better."

"Stay with him until he wakes." Saki insisted and she drew away and went to the door, she looked back with a slight smile on her face, "That's the most you can do for him."

Arisa nodded but did not sit back down, she waited until Saki had left the room to even move. She went to the window and drew aside the blinds to stare out into the darkness and she leaned her forehead against the cool glass and drew a ragged breath. No matter how much she wanted to hurt the man for abandoning her after she first met him, the sight of him had diminished her anger and brought forth only her love. She longed to stare into his brown eyes and hear his tenor voice again, but alas it was a false hope. On the way up she had overheard a nurse saying that, although the wound had been a small one, his chance of survival was slim at best.

Remembering this brought forth another choked sob and she slumped down to the floor, realizing that this was so unlike her she fought internally to stem the tears and regain composure. She stared at the metal bed frame and the locks that held the wheels in place, she replayed his clumsiness in her mind and smiled fondly at the mess he had made at the store. Maybe she would go back to work there, she mused and she rested her head back on the pale blue wall as his carefree smile eased its way to the front of her mind.

"Excuse me." A voice called out and Arisa lifted her head to see a nurse standing a few feet away hands on her hips, "Visiting hours are over."

"I want to stay." Arisa protested as the burly nurse lifted her to her feet and she withdrew so that she was beside the bed.

"I'm sorry miss… but I have to ask you to leave."

"No!" Arisa cried, her hand finding his as she searched the bed for it, and she looked pleadingly at the woman.

"If you don't leave I'll have to call security." The woman insisted, her eyes resting for a moment on the tender grip Arisa had on Kureno's hand.

"I can't leave him!" Arisa hissed, her thumb stroking absently at his hand and she stared down at him.

The woman shook her head and went to the door where she called down the hall for help and Arisa turned back to the redhead to watch him for a few seconds. She bent down to press another clumsy kiss to his lips and closed her eyes slowly, imagining him kissing back and she withdrew so that her she could take in the blankness on his face. A hand encircled her upper arm and she whirled around to face the security guard who had touched her.

"Miss." The guard said lowly, his grip tightening, "Lets go."

"Okay." Arisa whispered, her hand still wrapped around Kureno's and she let it go reluctantly with the realization that she couldn't bring herself to fight for freedom when the man she loved was trapped inside of himself.

"I'm sorry." The guard added, and he shook his head then allowed her to exit in front of him.

The guard left Arisa in the waiting room where she curled up on a couch and waited for dawn, taking Saki's advice to heart she steeled herself to the cold waiting room so that she would always be there.

Yuki woke to a loud banging on his door and finally the sound of it slamming open, he glanced drowsily to the clock and registered the hour. It was three AM and Kyo was already roused and ready to fight. The Rat say up now and opened his mouth to say something foul to the Cat when said Cat swung a punch home and sent Yuki back into his pillow.

"What the Hell is wrong with you?" Yuki shouted, rising like a balloon and taking Kyo by the shoulders.

"Damn Rat!" Kyo shouted back and Yuki narrowed his eyes.

"What is going on?" Yuki whispered, now seeing that Kyo wasn't punching for the sake of punching.

"Why is Tohru so sad?" Kyo demanded, motioning to where the brown haired girl stood flustered at the door with sadness in her eyes.

"Kyo!" Tohru wailed, coming now to wrap her arms around Kyo as if it would stop him from killing Yuki and the girl narrowly missed crushing the bitter orange cat that resulted.

Yuki tilted his head to the side and lifted the small cat from the minute pile of clothes to hold the feline in front of him and he shook his head.

"It's a girl thing." Yuki assured him, knowing that Akito's present state was in fact responsible.

The orange cat struggled a bit before giving in to the fact that Yuki would always be stronger than him and he sulked quietly, Yuki smiled and held the cat to his chest so that Kyo started struggling again.

"You queer what are you doing!" Kyo shouted as he transformed back and hit the floor with a thud.

"Picking on you." Yuki replied, his violet eyes darkening with malicious satisfaction, "For waking me up."

Tohru had covered her eyes to hide the sight of Kyo's manhood and Yuki merely turned up his nose at his naked cousin while said cousin pulled on his boxers in a huff and stormed from the room. Yuki laughed softly and Kyo stuck his hand back in to make an obscene gesture.

"I'm sorry Yuki!" Tohru pleaded and the Rat placed a hand gently atop her brown locks.

"Nothing to be sorry for." Yuki replied and he sat silently on his bed.

"Good night Yuki." Tohru announced, realizing that he was already half asleep as it was and she hurried from the room. Yuki mumbled a response and slumped over onto his bed with a sigh, dozing off once more.

"On this most glorious day one should not dally in bed!"

The voice shook Yuki from sleep almost as much as the curtains being flung open and the gray haired boy stared sleepily at the shapely form of his brother in the light of the sun. Ayame turned and smiled, his hair pulled back into a twist as it had been on most occasions and he motioned for the boy to get up.

"Why are you here Nii-san?" Yuki queried, sitting up and rubbing sleep-tinged eyes with his fists.

"I heard from a reliable source that my most cherished younger brother has been struck while he slept! By a monster no less." Ayame explained, coming now to sit beside his brother with lime green eyes alight with excitement.

"Kyo maybe be a monstrous pain in the ass… but I think actually calling him a monster is taking it a bit far." Yuki said with a yawn and he edged away from his brother.

"Nonsense!" Ayame cried in dismissal and he took Yuki's hands into his own, "I know that you are affected so by Kureno's hospitalization, but dearest brother don't cry."

"I'm not crying." Yuki insisted, withdrawing his hands.

Shigure appeared at the door and shook his head with a soft smile at Ayame's enthusiasm, the Dog crossed the room and pulled Ayame to him with a smile.

"Now Aaya… what did I say about picking on your brother?"

"I was not picking on him!" Ayame protested, pretending to sulk.

The Dog released the Snake and turned to Yuki, to whom he gave a sad shake of his head to confirm that no change was made in Kureno's condition then Shigure left the room to leave the brothers alone again. Ayame removed the hair tie and shook out lustrous silver locks so that they fell about him and he pulled Yuki from where he sat.

"Yuki. Today I will do you the honor of fitting you as a School Girl." Ayame said with a mischievous flicker in his eyes.

As the Snake began to unload various measuring devices from his bag Yuki reached out and took a sickly slim wrist into his hand so that Ayame turned to face him.

"I know you never liked Kureno. Nor Akito… but you are going about this the wrong way." Yuki whispered, drawing his brother into his arms and hugging him close so that the Snake questioned the Rat's sanity, "To truly cheer me up Nii-san… I want you to spend the day with me."

"Ah! The emotional hammer stroke of this has jarred my precious brother from the very grips of sanity!" Ayame cried, despair seeming to cross his face and he closed his eyes as if he would cry.

"Nii-san…" Yuki said softly and the Snake's attention was immediately recaptured, "Fit me if you so desire… but for something else."

"I shall make you the most beautiful blue kimono with a starlight obi so that you will look the perfect princess!"

Yuki was irked at this and expressed this by taking a halfhearted swing at Ayame, which connected sharply with the elder's shoulder and Ayame shrunk back in mock pain before immediately brandishing the measuring tape. The younger let out a fearful squeak but allowed his brother to do as he pleased nonetheless, knowing full well that nothing would please Ayame more than making a custom kimono meant to fit only Yuki.

Arisa was jarred from her light sleep by a soft and reluctant shake to her shoulders, she looked up to see the barely masked concern in the handsome Sohma doctors face.

"Have you been here all night?" Hatori asked lightly and she nodded, he sighed and looked around the room before removing his jacket and draping it carefully about the girl's shoulders.

"You know who I am?" Arisa responded and she held the coat close to her shivering body as she cursed the hospital's arctic air conditioning.

"Any friend of Miss Honda would be worth recognizing." Hatori responded, nodding carefully to Tohru who was looking around as if she were lost.

"You care about her… don't you?" Arisa commented and he looked at her with slightly narrowed eyes before nodding and Tohru was upon them with the cheery smile that conveyed her nervousness.

"Good morning." Tohru said softly, her arms subconsciously finding their way around Hatori who was inwardly panicked until he remembered his release from the curse.

"Morning." Arisa acknowledged and she went slowly to the sign with visiting hours on it.

Tohru watched her friend carefully as she withdrew from the hug she had given Hatori, the elders hand was still on the back of her head and she smiled up at him as he removed it.

"What are you doing here?" Hatori asked with concern on his face.

The girl smiled sheepishly and opened the long box she had with her, "I thought his room was too empty so I spent my paycheck on flowers." She said, her eyes still on Arisa's back as she stood stock still in front of the sign.

"You brought him Forget-Me-Not?" Hatori queried and she stared up at him with a flustered look and he sighed, "What is the other one in there?"

"Stargazer Lilies…" Tohru said warily and he smiled, she smiled back, "I got them for Arisa actually, she had this silly dream as a child to give flowers to the one she loved. She told me."

Hatori suppressed a laugh and took a seat, Arisa eyed the flower box carefully and Tohru handed it to her. Arisa took the box in hand and stared questioningly at Tohru as he opened it, her eyes widened and she smiled gently at her friend before hurrying off down the hall.

"There is something I should tell you." Tohru whispered and she turned away from the careful eyes, "I wont ever leave you… I'll never be scared away."

"Do you mean to tell me… that despite all that you know and all that you have seen of this family that you…"

"That I Love you?" Tohru said suddenly, whirling around to face the elder man with tears in her eyes, "Yes, I mean to say."

Before Hatori could make a move the girl had already disappeared through the automatic doors and was catching her breath just out of sight, cursing herself for saying such a stupid thing to a man with a heart of ice. Melted Ice such as it was… but ice nonetheless, in truth she didn't even know if she truly felt the way she suspected she did. Telling him that was a mistake, but she would stand by it and make the words seem more and more true to him by the day. If she loved him as she suspected she did, then she'd make him believe it too.

AN: There are two reasons for Tohru's choice in flowers. First is their meaning

Forget-Me-Not: True love, hope, rememberance and memories.

Stargazer Lily: I see heaven in your eyes.

Second is that this fanfic was originally called Forget Me Not and was actually going to be about Hatori. The choice of the forget me not was Tohru's developing affections and the Stargazers were for Arisa's realization of her own.

More to come. Promise.


	8. Chapter Seven

CHAPTER SEVEN

In her dream was a place where Akito would never know pain, suffering, and defeat. And in her dreams was where he was… as live and as there as if he stood before her even now. In her dream she would reach out frantically, her black locks blown backwards by wind and Kureno would slowly but surely fade into the darkness that had always surrounded her. Her cries would not be heard by a soul, she could see shapes in the silky darkness but could not make out who they were. Her dreams would never hurt her, until the day her life came crashing in, until the day that Kureno was no longer a part of the dreams she would await in the night. She sat up in her futon with tears brimming in her eyes, a sharp cry escaping her lips and her hand outstretched towards the blank wall bathed in sunlight. Outside the wind died down and realizing that she was now awake she lowered her hand to her lap and bent her head to stare into nothingness.

"Kureno…" Akito murmured, tears rolling slowly down her face to drip in darkening splotches on the whiteness of her bedclothes. She was surprised to feel that her sorrow had dulled to a slight sadness that tired her very core; at first she had worried that she would be forever condemned to frantic sadness.

"Are you okay?"

Akito turned her head to face to stare at the ghostly form of her lover, it seemed she was hallucinating but she didn't care at all. Kureno was there and she would live that moment for all its worth until his apparition disappeared. She was used to Kureno being there when she needed him most and she opened her mouth to reply when the warm concern faded to a soft frown on the maid's face.

"Get out." Akito ordered hoarsely, pulling her kimono closely about her as if it would warm her soul. The woman nodded quickly and left the food tray beside the head of the family, fleeing as if whom she thought of as a man would bring harm as he had many a time before. The panel door slid shut with a loud clack leaving Akito alone to listen to the chirp of birds outside her window, this time she didn't cry or go back to be however, she rose and went behind the screen to dress. She knew that eventually she would have to move on, Kureno was hurt true enough, but Akito was the head of the family as had to display with as much courage as possible that things could move from their screeching halt.

Staring now at the life within her she closed her eyes with newfound courage to live and buttoned up the black top to hide her womanhood and emerged into the silent Sohma estate via doors leading outside. At the foreign sound of a child crying she froze half down the steps and turned to see a maid admonishing a girl for crying so close to Akito's quarters. The maid looked up and gasped then hushed the child more, which caused more wailing and Akito stepped into her sandals.

"Stop," Akito ordered, waving her hand to the maid who nodded and disappeared around the house and the girl, knowing who she was stood silently with large blue eyes quivering. Akito considered her option to strike the child but seeing a wound on the child's knee dismissed the idea and blinked slowly.

"I'm sorry…" The girl whimpered, having been told by the maid that Akito would become violent when provoked.

"No need." Akito heard herself say, she knelt and gave the girl a slight smile as something maternal emerged inside of her, "You fell?"

She nodded at Akito and the head of the family lifted the girl easily into her arms to carry her into the house, a maid opened the door for her and shrank back under the gaze. Leaving her in the care of the maid she had glared down, Akito went to the pond a few yards away to ponder her sudden nurturing instinct. She was surprised at herself for being so nice to the child and thought deeply to herself that she must be going insane. Yes that was it; insanity was the best explanation, that and her pregnancy.

"Ow!" Yuki cried as the needle jabbed almost purposefully into his side and Ayame looked up with an apologetic look written over the concentration in his face.

Haru had been given the honor of watching Yuki being fit for a dress and was now sprawled over the Rat's bed with amusement in his eyes though he seemed half asleep to any normal onlooker. Yuki gave the Ox a dirty look and took a deep breath as Ayame began to place the needle again, this time only penetrating fabric.

"There. You may now shed the glorious fabric to be fashioned into exquisite art." Ayame announced, throwing one arm into the air as if to grant Yuki permission to move.

Soundlessly Yuki slid the pin-filled fabric from his body and all but dropped it into Ayame's awaiting grasp where the elder began immediately to go about his way and leave Yuki to dress. Haru sat up and tossed Yuki the shirt that he had left on the opposite side of the bed, only to receive a slightly disdainful look from the Rat.

"What?" Haru tried and Yuki merely shook his head and donned the discarded garment, as he finished buttoning it he felt Haru tug gently on the hem and he looked up at the sheepish look in his cousin's eyes.

"Haru…" Yuki warned and the boy shook his head.

"How are you?" Haru asked, his fingers releasing the shirt and he thrust a hand through polychromatic hair while turning worry filled onyx eyes upon his elder cousin.

"Fine." Yuki said thinly and took a seat beside Haru and sighed.

"Liar." Haru countered, he wrapped his arms around Yuki and rested his chin on the gray haired boy's shoulder, "Tell me why Kureno is affecting you this way."

"Its not Kureno." Yuki replied his eyes closing slowly and he leaned his head against Haru's, "Its everything really… I can't tell who cares and who doesn't anymore."

"Nobody ever really cared." Ayame started, he turned with a dullness in his green eyes, "As much as we all wanted to see sadness in what had happened over these many years… the line has blurred considerably between what matters and what doesn't."

Yuki stared carefully at the sudden change in his brother and watched as the silver haired Snake lowered the fabric onto his chair as he rose and felt Haru release him. The Snake took a seat beside his brother and wrapped his own arms around him.

"I want you to know that we feel so unsure… because Akito is unsure…" Ayame whispered, holding his brother close to him and Yuki couldn't help but lean into the touch no matter how he wished to recoil and show a cold indifference.

Tohru took a full and deep breath to calm her frayed nerves; she was one hundred percent in shock of the confession made. A hand fell on her shoulder and she turned into the cool and concerned gaze that Hatori harbored so unnaturally. She jumped at the sight of him and fumbled an apology for making him worry.

"Stop." Hatori said softly his eyes narrowing at her scared expression.

"I shouldn't have said that…" Tohru offered lowly and she closed her eyes to that coolness in his eyes.

"You should be yourself… whatever it entails." Hatori responded green eyes resuming the careful and guarded stare.

"I-I'm sorry…" Tohru apologized quickly and she attempted a bow that connected her head sharply with his stomach and she laughed nervously while apologizing yet again.

The doctor merely rubbed the top of her head and drew her close so that she was pressed to him, her eyes widened at the warmth of him and she placed her hands flush against his chest so that she could look up at him.

"No apologies." Hatori reminded her and he looked off into the breeze so that it lifted his stray bangs from his eyes and Tohru took in the faint scarring over and below his left eye.

Betraying herself she reached up for him and brushed a finger lightly over his closed eye, he flinched slightly in surprise but did not push her away. Both of his eyes were closed now as she examined the scarring with feather light touches, when finally she drew away he blinked and stared down at the tears that were brimming in her large eyes. For a second Hatori wanted to tear away and scream for her not to shed tears in his name, he held it in and brushed a falling tear away from her cheek.

"Tears again?" Hatori forced himself to whisper and she rubbed her eyes furiously to stem the flow.

"Every time I look at you… I want to see and feel everything." Tohru explained with a faint sniffle and she looked back up at him with puffy eyes.

"I always make you cry." Hatori pointed out and shook her head furious so that brown locks flipped about as if taken by a gust, he opened his mouth to protest when the girl suddenly threw her arms about his neck and held herself almost a full foot from the ground by only his shoulders.

"I cry because you don't." Tohru cried, her head finding rest on his upper chest as she did, forcing down tears and the lump in her throat. Hatori wrapped his arms tightly around her waist and rested his chin atop her head in a slight gesture of comfort that made her go limp in his arms. He couldn't say anything for fear that he would hurt her deeply, but all words would have been ruin to the moment. Tohru leaned back and stared up into his green eyes, whispering gently, "I would like to kiss you."

The sight of Hatori and Tohru wrapped together outside of the emergency room had shocked Shigure almost to his core, the thought that the Dragon could embrace a girl not of cursed Sohma blood made him equally as curious. Setting the alarm on his car he started for the crosswalk and inevitably to where Hatori was standing with his arms wrapped almost desperately around the girl. He froze when the girl looked up at him with obvious tears in her eyes.

"He always does this…" Shigure growled and he sped his pace, "Making women cry…"

His hurried pace was stopped in its tracks as Hatori lowered his mouth onto the younger girl's in a gentle kiss, but what had shaken Shigure at this particular moment was that the look shared between them was understanding. An understanding that Hatori could only have felt from a person who had devoted themselves to the art of caring, a person like Tohru and this realization almost made Shigure smile. Standing now, stock still as the kiss lasted now longer that ten seconds Shigure was slowly wrapping his mind around it. As they drew away from each other the elder had his eyes closed and the younger stared up at him with blush spreading over her cheeks.

"You… kissed me?" Tohru murmured her breath just catching up with her, the taste of him lingered on her lips and she licked them slowly to absorb it.

"You wanted me to." Hatori replied with a slight smile and he lowered the girl back to her feet where she touched her lips with her hand and seemed to think deeply for a moment.


	9. Chapter Eight

CHAPTER EIGHT

((Authors Note: In this chapter Ayame makes a grave mistake… one that could cost him almost everything… the one thing that made me write it is that this fanfic is ABOUT mistakes.))

"Thank you." Tohru heard herself say, she was too busy savoring the bitter taste of tobacco to notice fully that she had said it. Then it dawned on her, "You smiled!"

Hatori's eyes widened slightly at the joyous look in her eyes and she hugged him again, this time with renewed energy, "I haven't seen you really smile…"

Shigure caught Hatori's eye and the Dog gave the former Dragon and skeptical look and it was returned with an icy glare. Pulling back from the hug Tohru turned to face Shigure, having a feeling that someone had been watching for some time. The Dog just smiled and joined the two beside the automatic doors to stare with questioning eyes at Hatori.

"My curse was lifted." Hatori murmured and Tohru gripped his hand in her own to show her own concern.

"How?" Shigure pressed, his eyes surveying the two and Hatori shook his head.

"If I knew I would have told you." Hatori responded lowly and Shigure sighed heavily.

"Can you think of a way?"

Hatori drew Tohru close and shook his head at the Dog, leaving awkward silence to eat its way into a pit.

Yuki was pacing his room waiting for his brother to finish sewing when he spied the unnatural shake in Ayame's shoulders, the steady sound of his feet on the floor stopped dead and the younger merely stared at the elder. The Rat went forward and took the trembling shoulders in both hands and drew his brother back against him.

"What is it?" Yuki whispered, feeling the shaking subside and Ayame's green eyes opened slowly.

"Its nothing." Ayame fumbled, his proud voice coming out slightly marred and he lifted the fabric to start stitching again when Yuki pulled it away and the Snake let out a soft noise of surprise.

"Liar." Yuki accused, moving now to the opposite side of the room to deposit the half finished gown on an empty chair. He felt Ayame approach him and reach around him to take back his handiwork, Yuki took the outstretched porcelain hand and drew it close to his chest, "Tell me."

Ayame moved to draw away and Yuki tugged him back so that they were chest to chest, Yuki pressed closer and urged his brother to tell him.

"It hurts… not to be needed anymore." Ayame whispered, the façade of proud strength that he had erected now crashing to pieces as glass on the floor. Yuki turned his brother's face back when he attempted to avert lime green eyes and stem tears the threatened on the verge of flowing.

"I need you." Yuki assured him and he cocked an eyebrow at the bitter smile on his brother's face.

"Not in the way that Shigure and I were." Ayame whispered, his voice cracking slightly and hushed as if he were uttering a dark secret.

Yuki searching his brother's face and the gentle look he was trying to exude, he could see right into the depths of Ayame's soul and see how it was shattering with every second that had passed. Yuki looked away slowly and then locked violet on lime with a meaningful stare. In truth he couldn't fathom why he was about to say what he was to say.

"Take me." Yuki murmured, the voice still reaching Ayame's ears and the elder snapped to attention.

"You cannot be serious!" Ayame exclaimed and the look in Yuki's eyes faltered for a second but still held its emotion.

"You need this!" Yuki countered, bringing a pale hand up to Ayame's cheek and cupping it in his hand.

"Little brother..."

"Forget who I am..." Yuki pleaded, he took Ayame's face in both hands and drew himself up to so that their breaths mingled, "Focus on what I am."

"My brother." Ayame whispered, his lips brushing slightly over Yuki's and the gray haired boy inhaled sharply.

"No." Yuki whispered, his eyes locking even more on his brothers and he gave him a soft stare, "I need you..."

Ayame tried desperately to pull away from the seduction in Yuki's eyes and the gray haired boy held tighter so that they were fully pressed together now.

"What do you want from me?" Ayame demanded, his strength returning.

"I want you to do this... I cant soothe you with my words, and you wont be soothed by my touch... you need this more than anything." Yuki pressed, his arms locking around his brother's neck.

"I don't want you to beg for me to do this! We are blood you and I!" Ayame protested, trying to free himself.

"Forget blood!" Yuki shouted, pulling away now and turning to face the door, "You need to be needed. You thrive on this... I want to give you that feeling of being wanted."

"By throwing yourself at me... so innocently and with seriousness that I almost forget who you are?" Ayame cried, "You claim to want me to be soothed... when you don't even know what it is that you ask!"

"I know!" Yuki pleaded, coming back to Ayame with a soft touch to the man's cheek, "I ask you to treat me as your lover... just this once..."

Silence feel between the two and Ayame closed his eyes to feel the Yuki's touch to his cheeks, Yuki shook his head and drew away long enough to close his door.

"You want this?" Ayame murmured, feeling Yuki return to him.

"I want you to want this." Yuki corrected, a slight smile crossing his face, "Show me your sorrow..."

Afterwards when the two lay close together and spent between the sheets Yuki stroked Ayame's silver hair back away from his face where the elder lay limply on top of him with his head resting heavily on the younger's collarbone. Ayame's lime colored eyes were closed and he slumbered peacefully without sadness over his proud face, Yuki pressed a kiss to the elder's temple and laid back in thought of what they had just done. The lime eyes opened lazily and on instinct the Snake pressed an appreciative kiss to the collarbone next to him, Yuki smiled at the gesture and drew the sheet up and around his brother's shoulders.

"Yuki?" Ayame asked, his voice sounding innocent.

"I'm here." Yuki affirmed gently and the Snake cuddled down closely into the covers and the Rat smiled even wider.

"What we did was wrong…" Ayame suddenly whispered, looking up with green eyes intent on his brother.

"No… it wasn't." Yuki murmured, threading his fingers through damp silver locks.

Ayame shook his head and rested wearily against his brother's chest and the boy turned his head back up so that their eyes met, Yuki drew Ayame up and pressed their lips firmly together. It was hard not to surrender to the soft press of Yuki's tongue to his lips and when Ayame finally pushed him away he was breathless and he stared in surprise at the sudden impulse his brother had acted on. The two stared at each other for a moment before something sparked and Ayame pressed forward so that their lips came together again, Yuki's hand slipped gently down his brother's back and held the small of it so that he couldn't move.

Footsteps slipped by the door and Yuki drew back to listen then held Ayame to him again, "I would give myself to you so that you would be happy." he murmured, pressing feather light kisses over Ayame's cheek.

Without a word Ayame slipped back into a peaceful slumber and Yuki held him until he too descended to the dreams, waking several hours later to find Ayame dressing carefully and he too began to pull on his clothes, out of the necessity to stop his brother from doing something stupid. Ayame secured his hair at the base of his neck with a black ribbon and straighened the lapels of his coat, turning now to find Yuki standing between him and the door.

"Yuki..." Ayame started, and the boy tensed for what might occur.

"I cant let you leave." Yuki whispered, coming forward to embrace the Snake in a loving hug, "Not yet."

The two stood in silence and Yuki leaned away to stare up at his brother who looked away to stare at the wall, his stomach made a soft grumbling noise and Yuki smiled at the blush on his face.

"Lets go eat." Yuki suggested, taking his brother's hand in his own and leading him down to the modest kitchen. The Rat turned to his brother with a grin, "What do you want?"

"Pancakes..." Ayame whispered, his green eyes lighting up like childs and he came to stand beside Yuki with a smile, "I haven't had those since I was in Middle School!"

"Okay." Yuki agreed, his laughter escaping him in relief as Ayame had cheered up so visibly.

The two went about the batter making process with precious few words between them and often a soft stare was caught from the younger, as if to say "are you okay?" and every time Ayame made a face and nodded gently. As they poured the batter the two stood with Ayame behind Yuki, reaching around to sweep out the remainders with a rubber spatula and Yuki leaned back to signal that the proximity was okay.

"Thank you." Ayame whispered, leaning his head to the top of his brothers and smiling sweetly. Yuki made a noise of acknowledgement before turning around and smiling gently up at the elder.

"If it would make you strong again... I would do it a thousand times over." Yuki assured him and he pressed his hands to Ayame's chest to move him backwards so that he could maneuver to place the used dishes into the sink.

"If it would make me strong again... I would do it a thousand times over." Ayame responded, sweeping back his ponytail.

The front door clacked open and Yuki turned to see who it was, Shigure stood in the entry way with his hand thrust in frustrated silence through his dark hair. The eyes fell on the two brothers and a confused look donned on his face as his eyes landed on the cheery smile Ayame wore, the green eyes looking warily at the Dog.

"You're still here?" Shigure said with a stare to Ayame, the sound coming out in a unpleasantly surprised snort.

Yuki whirled around to stare at his brother as the light on his face died, Ayame flicked his eyes away as if to dismiss the comment but his face had fallen, the Dog sighed in exasperation and started up the stairs and disappeared round the bend at the top.

"Wait." Yuki cried, tearing his eyes away from his brother to stand at the summit of the stairwell and the Dog turned to stare at him.

"What?" Shigure demanded, turning fully to face him.

"How can you say that to him?" Yuki shot back and Shigure shook his head.

"Our business was done... I hadn't expected him to stay." Shigure explained, his voice low and his eyes sharply narrowed.

"He's not someone you toy with!" Yuki growled, coming forward a few feet.

"I see... and that is why you treat him as you?"

"What?"

"I saw what you two did! You say not to toy with him... and yet you draw him with your wiles as if he were anyone else but your brother!" Shigure protested and Yuki turned his head as if he had been slapped.

"I did it for him... he needed something..." Yuki fumbled and the Dog shook his head with a bitter laugh.

"Comfort found in the bed of his own brother... that is something else..."

"Shut up!" Yuki cried, looking now deadly serious at the man, "If you hadn't hurt him then it never would have happened!"

"I told him that he needed to move on! That he and I were never serious!"

"He was serious about you!"

"He was serious about nothing... not for one day in his life!" Shigure laughed, he turned to walk away.

"Just like Kureno was not serious about Akito?" Yuki hissed and Shigure stopped, his eyes narrowing as he rounded on the Rat, Yuki pushed on, "Just like Haru and Rin?"

"You'd best stop now."

"Hatori's eye was just an accident right? He was merely joking about marrying Kana?" Yuki continued, his eyes flashing dangerously, "How do you live with yourself? How do you sleep at night? How do you look at yourself in the mirror and think 'I guess I'll ruin Ayame's life next!'?"

"I dont!" Shigure roared and Yuki took a step back at the sound of the voice, Shigure stepped forward to close the distance.

"What the hell is going on?" Kyo shouted, the bathroom door slamming open with the force of his kick and he froze at the sight. The sight of the Cat staring accusingly at the two urged Yuki forward with a realization.

"You saying the Nii-san isnt serious about love... is like saying that for the past seventeen years have been a walk in the proverbial park for Kyo." Yuki murmured and Shigure raised an eyebrow, "It was never easy for us! Pushing Kyo left and right... expecting him to break at anytime... all for the stupid sake of eternal happiness! If anyone deserves freedom..." Yuki raised a finger to point at the angry Cat, and shouted, "It's him!"

Kyo said nothing and merely watched the confrontation from the safety of the bathroom door, mildy concerned with Yuki's current stance at the top of the stairs and Shigure shook his head.

"He? This didnt start about Kyo... it was about that fool of a brother of yours." Shigure responded.

"He is not a fool!" Yuki shouted, shoving on Shigure to push him backwards when Kyo made a noise to stop him.

Over Shigure's shoulder Kyo made a face that meant for him not to come to blows, but Shigure had already stumbled backwards when Yuki registered this.

"Look where you are standing." Shigure whispered, regaining balance and Yuki chanced the glance down to see his heels were hanging slightly over the landing and he looked back up at Shigure with a pleading stare in his yes.

"You wouldnt..." Kyo breathed and Yuki locked eyes with the Cat.

"You are annoying me." Shigure pointed out, pressing a palm to Yuki's chest, "I warned you."

"SHIGURE NO!" Kyo screamed, coming forward to restrain him.

Yuki gasped as Shigure pushed with all his might and closed his eyes as he felt air beneath him, a full second later someone had grabbed tightly onto him and he was jostled at they landed at the base of the stairs, his eyes fluttered open to see Kyo crouched on the floor with an arm locked underneath and around Yuki's waist.

"Kyo?" Yuki queried.

Hatori sighed heavily as he climbed from his black car and he shut the door a little harder than he had meant to.

"Are you sure it was okay to leave her?" Hatori asked, and Tohru nodded as she closed the passenger's side door.

"She doesnt like people seeing a side of her that she wont accept herself." Tohru replied and she started up the stairs, turning back when Hatori didnt move.

The man had a cigarette in his lips and was trying to ignite flame on his lighter, Tohru growled and stormed over to him, his green eyes widened as she snatched the cigarette from his lips and threw it on the ground indignantly.

"Hey..." Hatori protested and she took the lighter and tossed it into the grass.

"You know I'd think a Doctor would be smart enough not to smoke." Tohru growled and she turned away, Hatori started for the lighter and she dodged after him, they both hit the grass in a slight struggle to get towards the plastic lighter.

Tohru grasped Hatori's hands and tried to hold them back as the elder reached out towards the lighter, Tohru giggled beneath him and slipped an arm around his neck to stop his struggling. They stared into each others eye as if waiting for the next move and suddenly Tohru lifted her head to kiss the doctor flush on the lips, Hatori adjusted his position and ran a hand up her bare thigh and eased it beneath the hem of her uniform his other hand bracing against the ground and then he stopped. The skirt was pushed up and exposing panties that his hand rested atop and he drew away with a sigh.

"What?" Tohru protested, the flush on her cheeks paling slighty and she tugged gently on his coat, "I didnt protest..."

"You're a minor..."

"Who's gonna know?" Tohru queried and the doctor gave her a look.

"I will. And I cant live with doing it."

The girl drew him back and pressed a kiss to his throat allowing him to lay across her again and she smiled, pressing her lips now to his, "Please." She whispered, tracing the back of her hand over his cheek with a innocent stare.

"SHIGURE NO!"

Hatori sat up straight and stared up the stone steps that led to Shigure's house and he lifted himself from the ground, disregarding his lighter, and took the steps quickly. Tohru composed herself and followed quickly, as they crested the stairs it seemed she was losing energy but she continued along the path nonetheless keeping closely at Hatori's heels. Hatori reached the house first and the door slammed open revealing Kyo holding Yuki at the bottom of the stairs and Shigure made a noise and disappeared.

"What happened?" Hatori demanded and Ayame collapsed in the doorway to the kitchen.


	10. Chapter Nine

CHAPTER NINE

A/N: I realize that the last chapter wasn't my best... and I hope to make up for it in the near future... please regard me kindly.

At the door to Kureno's hospital room stood Arisa, her eyes downcast and her shoulders shaking, dueling with herself about whether or not to go in. After a minute she started forward when a loud continuous beeping noise met her, she jumped at the sound and looked around for the source. Her eyes landed on the EKG and she dropped the box of flowers, backing into the wall.

"No." She breathed, her eyes locked on the continuous straight line.

She was jostled by a nurse who left the immediately, "Get me a Defib!" the woman shouted down the hall and immediately the room went into commotion.

He was dead, that was all she could think… Kureno was dead; she let out a strangled cry and covered her face. All she had wanted to see him one last time and possibly yell at him for leaving her. Her eyes glazed over and she drew her knees up to her chest, she didn't know what to do other than cry.

Akito held her stomach gingerly as she returned to bed, having been roused by sickness thrice already. She hated being pregnant, she decided, especially if it meant throwing up. She groaned loudly and sat carefully on her futon, fumbling slight she took the book she was skimming into her hands and impulsively threw it across the small room. Beside her sat a tray of uneaten food and the maids had tried uselessly several times to get her to eat. She knew if she ate she would feel worse, but her stomach growled in betrayal. The night before Hatori had come to check on her and discovered the she was in fact pregnant and was rushed away after a gentle talk about the way to treat herself, by flying objects. Being pregnant was worse than PMS for those around her and she slumped over to think about baby names when she saw vividly in her mind her sparrow falling. She screamed in anguish and overturned the food tray with a loud crash, when Sama entered the room to see what was wrong Akito had curled in the corner with her knees drawn up and her head bent to kneecaps and shuddering visibly.

"Akito-san?" Sama ventured, her eyes regarding Akito softly, "Sir... are you okay?"

"Leave." Akito bit out, her hands tightening on her shins and dull dark eyes stared venomously at her.

"Yes, sir."

When the maid had left Akito dropped her head weakly back down and succumbed to tears, her stomach panged as if the growing life knew her deed. As if it new that she had broken Kureno's wings, she sniffled pitifully and tried to reassure herself. Her mind screamed that the sparrow was beyond repair... that Kureno would never fly again. Crying out mentally, she raged that Kureno would fly again... for his child's sake... he would fly… she would be sure of it.

"What the hell happened?" Hatori half demanded a second time and Kyo released his hold around Yuki.

Seeing Ayame in the doorway crumpled as he was made Hatori deeply angry, angry at whatever it was that could hurt Ayame that badly and Yuki was almost trembling from some enormous shock. With a snort Kyo took his leave out the back door with a huff while Ayame attempted to regain his own composure silently. Yuki checked himself over thoroughly and rose on shaky legs to face the doctor and their female resident.

"Shigure was angry." Yuki explained, going now to Ayame's side.

"About what?" Hatori exclaimed, his calm a little bit disturbed as Yuki turned venomous violet eyes upon the doctor.

"I would very much like to get my dear brother home… is that too much to ask?" Yuki hissed, still recovering from his fall.

"I'll get him some tea… I think you should talk to Kyo." Tohru piped up and she moved swiftly past Hatori to the Snake's side, she leaned close to him, "Ayame-san? Can you stand?"

"Yes." Ayame whispered softly, and Yuki took him underarm and helped him up with the knowledge that Ayame was shakier than even he.

Under the careful supervision of Tohru, Ayame was ushered gently into the kitchen for tea where he thanked her for it quietly. Hatori turned to Yuki and saw the Rat disappear the way Kyo had gone. He sighed and started up the stairs in search of Shigure, whom he found sitting quietly in his room, quite a feat for the Dog.

"What happened?" Hatori asked, quietly expressing fury that made Shigure cringe.

"It was a misunderstanding." Shigure said softly, his eyes meeting Hatori's narrowed ones.

"In what way was pushing Yuki down the stairs a misunderstanding?" Hatori demanded, taking a seat opposite Shigure.

"Its not like I MEANT to."

"Sure you didn't." Hatori snorted, wanting very much to hit the Dog.

Shigure merely gave Hatori a slight glared and leaned casually back against the wall; he eyed Hatori carefully as if judging how close to a black eye he was. Hatori eyed him with an appraisal of where he should be hitting first.

"Okay, he started saying things that angered me. And I snapped."

Hatori narrowed his eyes at the Dog and he too leaned back, "Sounds like you." he said quietly.

Kyo disappeared into the trees, intent on getting as far away from the claustrophobic air in the house. He heard quickening footsteps at his heels and he stopped so that the person following him crashed into his back.

"Watch it!" Kyo shouted, whirling around to face his stalker.

"BAKA!" Yuki shouted back, rubbing his forehead.

"What are you doing?"

"Trying to talk to you!"

Kyo growled lowly and turned away to storm further into the vegetation, Yuki at his heels as before.

"What is it then?"

"You... saved me... why?" Yuki asked softly, not bothering to snap at him.

"Impulse." Kyo responded roughly and turned to face Kyo, their eye level as Yuki had grown that extra inch to match Kyo's height.

"I see." Yuki said quietly, and Kyo gave him an odd look, Yuki met the scrutinizing gaze, "What?"

"What is wrong with you?" Kyo demanded, still in a foul mood at being caught with his arm around Yuki.

"I am worried." Yuki admitted, suddenly wanted Kyo to listen and that scared him.

"Why?" Kyo asked, his voice toning down at the weakness he saw in Yuki's violet eyes.

"Ayame isn't himself..." Yuki replied softly, he looked up at Kyo, "If you hadn't saved me from that fall... I think Ayame may have snapped."

"Is that a thanks?" Kyo said with a sardonic grin.

"How can you be such an ass?" Yuki demanded, his eyes flaring angrily.

"Its weird when you get all mushy on me." Kyo replied, thrusting a hand through his hair.

"AAAGH!" Yuki roared and Kyo stepped back in surprise, "You are such a pain!"

"Hey... wait a sec!" Kyo protested, "You followed me Rat-Boy!"

"I wasn't getting mushy!" Yuki pointed out and Kyo rolled his eyes, getting a sharp kick to the shin for the effort. "Quit being a jackass!"

"Ow!" Kyo cried, he delivered a flawless kick back at Yuki and grazed his side as the Rat jumped away.

"Grow up." Yuki added with venom tinged in his voice, and he turned to stalk away.

Kyo reached out and grabbed a fistful of blue cotton and forced Yuki around, "We… are not through." He hissed and Yuki turned hollow violet eyes on Kyo.

"We were through when you started being yourself." Yuki responded lowly and Kyo let go in surprise in spite himself.

Ayame drank the tea quietly without raising his green eyes to meet Tohru's and the girl watched him carefully for this lack of enthusiasm.

"Ayame-san… I am sure that whatever happened matter a great deal and I hate to pry…" Tohru started, steeling her will and wringing her hands.

"Its not like… I didn't know that Shigure never loved me…" Ayame responded, lifting lime green eyes to her cerulean ones, "But I didn't expect to be cold-shouldered so easily."

Tohru went to the Snake and took both his cold pale hands into her own, "Shigure-san is not exactly smart when it comes to other's feelings…"

"I know he is. And still it left me at a loss for what to do."

Tohru threw her arms unthinkingly around Ayame and groaned inwardly at the resounding whoosh of air as the dejected man transformed into an even more dejected snake. She apologized as Ayame slithered around her wrist and up her arm to rest limply on and over her shoulder.

"Alas… It is not your fault that I become this." Ayame sighed and Tohru lifted his slight weight from her shoulder to hold in her palms, she raised him to her chest and held him in the best embrace she could offer without squishing him.

"After a little while… the pain will fade and it will be a memory." Tohru assured him, stroking the top of his scaly head with her forefinger, "I promise."


	11. Chapter Ten

CHAPTER TEN

A/N: I apologize for not updating recently… school had me bogged down with stuff and the creative juices just were flowing. I just started work and that is making it harder.

Standard Disclaimer.

Kyo watched in irritation as Yuki disappeared into the house once more and the Cat turned to slam an uneasy fist into the closest tree, leaving an indent a little bit bigger around than his fist in the wood. He needed to train, badly. Skirting the house he started towards Shishou's with serious fighting on the mind, still knowing that Shishou would pound him into the dirt.

Yuki rounded the stairs and stopped to watch Tohru gently embracing Ayame in his Zodiac form, and the Snake merely resting against her, He couldn't hear what the girl was saying, he waited until the snake slithered down to rest on Tohru's lap to enter the room. He surprised them both as he lifted the snake from Tohru and held it close to himself.

"Nii-san." Yuki whispered and the snake lifted its head with a flick of its tongue, "Let me take you home so you can rest."

The snake nodded slowly and Yuki gathered up the torrent of clothing that Ayame had shed when he transformed, the snake made a soft hiss and seated itself atop Yuki's head carefully as the gray haired boy folded each garment carefully and stacked them one by one. It took Yuki a moment to get all the clothing in his care but when he did he removed the white snake from his head and let it coil around his wrist.

"Too sad to change back?" Yuki asked and the snake's head bobbed a yes, "I though so."

Ayame curled up into Yuki's hand and rested laced between his brothers fingers with his tongue flicking lightly at his thumb. Yuki gathered up the plethora of clothing and went out to the Mitsubishi with keys and Snake in hand. As Ayame was lowered onto the leather seat a poof resounded and Yuki turned away at the explosion of silver hair in his car.

Akito lifted her head from her knees and shifted to her feet, to stare at the blond girl who had just entered the room.

"Who the hell are you?" Akito heard herself demand sharply.

"My name… is Arisa Uotani."

"You are one of Tohru Honda's friends." Akito acknowledged.

"I was sent here to tell you that Kureno Sohma almost died today." Arisa whispered, bowing her head slightly, "And that he was awake for a few minutes after he was brought back… he told the nurse to tell you 'suzume'… isn't that Japanese for…"

"Sparrow." Akito cut Arisa off sharply, "Yes. It is."

"Do you know why he would tell you that?"

"I don't know." Akito whispered, racking her brain for some reason as to the significance.

"Alright… I'm sorry for the intrusion. I'll be leaving now." Arisa whispered.

"Wait." Akito said suddenly and the girl stopped in her tracks, "How do you know Kureno?"

"I met him when he was out shopping at my store…" Arisa explained

Akito nodded and leaned back against the wall with a slight sigh, "I see."

"I apologize for intruding." Arisa whispered, gritting back her wild nature for the sake of the Sohma across the room from her. Without another word she turned and hurried from the room and the estate, not stopping once until she was blocks away from that melancholy place.

Now that Ayame was dressed and buckled into the car Yuki drove away from Shigure's house, towards the infamous dress shop. The whole way was awkward for the zodiac brothers, mostly because the usual bouncy Ayame was quiet. It was a moment before Ayame looked gently to his brother.

"I am sorry… for being such a drama king." Ayame whispered, tipping his head back on the headrest and closing his eyes. Yuki pressed the brake to slow and stop at a red light and gave his brother a firm look before resting his hand on the thin shoulder and squeezing in reassurance.

"Not at all." Yuki whispered, suddenly wanting fearsome murder to befall Shigure.

The yellow-green orbs opened to examine the younger of the two brothers and the Snake smiled weakly, making something else move in Yuki. The Rat would destroy the Dog. And he would do it slowly.

The light changed green and he pressed on the accelerator, carefully holding back the urge to speed and drive recklessly to ease his growing anger. He flicked on the turn signal and sharply turned into the back lot of his brother's dress shop then killed the ignition. "Lets get you inside." He suggested, his voice coming out thin and clearly held back by emotion.

"Yuki." Ayame whispered, giving a soft squeeze of his brother's shoulder and searching his eyes. The Rat paused, hand on the door latch and he returned the scrutinizing stare with ease. For a moment they sat staring before Ayame wrapped his arms about Yuki and held him in a tight hug that most would think the slightly frail man wouldn't be able to hold, "Thank you."

Yuki merely waited until the grip was released before getting out and helping his brother into the back of the shop, his creative place. Mine wasn't home yet, Yuki observed as he let Ayame wander to his chair and sit quietly.

"I'll get you some tea." Yuki suggested, setting a hand on his brother's shoulder.

"Yuki." Ayame murmured, the Rat turned his head and sat back on the nearby chair to watch his brother, "Stop… being so nice to me."

"Nii-san…" Yuki started and the Snake shook his head.

"You don't need to stay."

"I want to!" Yuki protested, rising to his feet and walking the short distance to his brother's side, "Don't tell me to leave."

"I don't want you to feel forced to stay on my account."

"You need the company."

Ayame shook his head, silver hair cascading down his chest and he closed his large eyes so that he didn't have to show the sadness the would reflect in them. Yuki reached out and clasped his hand on Ayame's shoulder.

"Nii-san."


End file.
